AS THIS STORY UNFOLDS I continue to be amazed that this administration is so arrogant that it fails to keep even an appearance of propriety. The Bush misadministration is so confident that America does not care how much money is funneled to powerful insider contributors that they don't even try to hide the obvious conflict of interest violations constituted by the huge profiteering of the Halliburton Corporation. At 1.3 Billion a month given in IRAQ to private companies like Halliburton the oil is not flowing, the lights are seldom on, and the troops are suffering without basic services while 'confessed felon Halliburton' with a history of ripping off taxpayers and shareholders is allowed unprecedented opportunity to steal from Americans. Do Americans care? Would they if they knew?
Halliburton's Deals Greater Than Thought

Halliburton, the company formerly headed by Vice President Cheney, has won contracts worth more than $1.7 billion under Operation Iraqi Freedom and stands to make hundreds of millions more dollars under a no-bid contract awarded by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, according to newly available documents.

THE WORLD ACCORDING TO HALLIBURTON
Mother Jones July 23, 2003 Issue is featuring a fascinating (and frightening) map of the Halliburton empire. Created by Michael Scherer, this interactive map lets you explore the tax havens, defense-related contracts, and federal energy subsidies in the company's global web consisting of offices in 70 countries and annual revenues of $12.6 billion.

Since Dick Cheney took over as CEO of Halliburton in 1995, after serving as secretary of defense during Gulf War I, the company has had tight political connections -- revenues rose 26 percent in his first year. "Federal investigators looking into charges that Halliburton defrauded taxpayers said that company officials "had the upper hand at the Pentagon because they knew the process like the back of their hand."Scherer shows that Halliburton continues to remain well-connected. The tax dollars the company receives -- $2.2 billion in defense-related contracts and generous subsidies for profitable pipeline projects -- "couldn't come at a better time for Halliburton," Scherer states, "its share price has collapsed under the weight of asbestos lawsuits, a federal investigation into its accounting practices, and a drop in oil prices." And Halliburton adds insult to injury to the American people by avoiding paying taxes, Scherer notes. "In 1995, the company had nine subsidiaries in the Cayman Islands, Bermuda, and other countries that serve as tax havens. By 2002, it had 58."

HALLIBURTON HAS A STRANGLEHOLD ON THE WORLD'S OIL SUPPLY. What happens if Halliburton decides that parts are 'out of stock' or repair service on the hundreds of oil drilling, transportation, and storage services it provides is currently unavailable? Halliburton is everywhere the oil is in the world. Next time - forget next time - THIS TIME as gasoline prices rise and supplies fall we know who has the power to be the cause. If Halliburton chooses to slow down the oil supply slows down. Time to wake up and smell the crude stench of absolute power America. It is the stench emanating from the undisclosed location of the Vice-President of the United States. Lilith at A Rational Animal has more and this story will tell you how it all started for Halliburton when Cheney was Secretary of Defense and he paid Kellog Brown Root 8.9 million dollars to write a report on how privatization would work for the Military Quartermaster Services and Logistics that resulted in today's feast at the public trough.
WE do know that Halliburton is making huge amounts of money on no bid taxpayer funded government contracts despite the fact that Halliburton:
1) pled guilty to a felony paid a 1.2 million dollar fine
2) moved ops to overseas tax shelters to avoid millions in taxes
3) over charged taxpayers 2 million dollars on a Fort Ord contract
4) offered to settle fraud lawsuits by stockholders for 6 million dollars.
5) admitted to illegal bribes in Nigeria
6) paid Dick Cheney 40 million dollars
7) is under SEC Investigation for questionable accounting practices.
8) Gives hundreds of thousands in campaign contributions to Republicans only.

Despite these violations of law and trust Dick Cheney's old company is raking in big bucks to make the oil flow.
That has to be worth the blood spilled and the money spent by US Taxpayers and soldiers; OR DOES IT??
This answers the question of why we went to war in IRAQ.
Follow the money and figure out the end result.
The END justifies any reason or means for those who profit on the blood and trust of the American public.